PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN TERRORISM (FROM TERRORISMINTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES, 1977, BY YONAH ALEXANDER AND SEYMOUR MAXWELL FINGER - SEE NCJ-44307)

• NCJ Number: 62738
• Author(s): J MARGOLIN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: John Jay Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESEARCH ON PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN AND THEORIES OF TERRORISM IS REPORTED.

Abstract

THERE ARE TWO LEVELS OF THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO STUDYING TERRORISM: (1) THE MACROLEVEL INCLUDES PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL BASES OF MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES AND (2) THE MICROLEVEL IS RESPONSIVE TO THE STUDY OF SPECIFIC TERRORISTS AND TERRORIST ACTS. BECAUSE RESEARCH ON TERRORISM HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY A SERIES OF CONTRADICTORY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TERRORISTS AND NO AREA IN THE STUDY OF TERRORISM HAS RECEIVED ADEQUATE ATTENTION, A HANDBOOK OF INSTRUCTIONS IS NEEDED THAT CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT TO POTENTIAL CRISIS MANAGERS. A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY AND CONTROL OF TERRORISM IS ESSENTIAL TO INTEGRATE BEHAVIORAL, POLITICAL SCIENCE, ECONOMIC, MILITARY, AND TECHNICAL FIELDS. TERRORISM IS BEHAVIORALLY EXPLAINED IN TERMS OF EMPHASIS ON THE ABNORMAL, FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY, NORMAL PSYCHOLOGY, THE ZEIGARNIK EFFECT OF THE INTERRUPTED TASK PHENOMENON, THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE, THE GOAL GRADIENT, COGNITIVE STYLE, AND THREAT. RESEARCH NEEDS IN UNDERSTANDING TERRORISM ARE NOTED. (DEP)